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Ayo I just wanted to say thanks for making this video I never finished DTLTNC as a kid because I was scared of it My parents got it for me on Christmas and before making it halfway through the game I returned it to GameStop for another I've always looked back and regretted that decision but never went out of my way to learn about the rest of the story Thank you for bringing closure to a lingering thread in my life I teared up at the Real Life portion where the ending was shown The way you talked about it moved me as well That song and Wilfre's final form were familiar to me in ways I can't describe but it was so satisfying to final have a part of my life bookended in such an emotional way Thank you so much dawg And thanks to the 5thcell members responsible for such an emotional story in a kids game I just wish I was brave enough as a child to get to that ending myself Yeah that's all I got I'ma look up a playthrough of locks quest
It took me until watching this to realize that my copy of the game had censored the ending. Expecting to see a kid falling from a tree the whole video and seeing a car crash was genuinely a huge fucking shock
It almost seemed to me that Jowee and Mike are the same person, Jowee being how Mike sees himself, and Mike simply being an observer, watching and going along with his own spiraling mind and imagination
I know the ending to this game was changed because it was ‘too sad’ but I had one of the original copies of the game with the original ending. Just a few years prior to playing this I had been in a car crash myself. While I was fine physically, the games ending ripped open the scab that was my mental trauma from the crash. I remember crying for literal hours, and afterwards tried to forget it even existed.
I feel like the parents complaining about the ending completely missed _why_ their kids were upset, bc I feel like the alternative ending would be even more upsetting. The whole world and story actually being a coma dream is one thing - it hurts but there's a weight to it and comas are kinda mysterious so it feels like it has more meaning, but it all being a normal-ass dream from a kid with a slight concussion feels like a straight up undercutting of everything the player was emotionally put through. The former might make the kid cry, but the latter will leave them hollowed out.. and I think that might be even more traumatizing in the long term?
The ending this franchise scarred me as a child. Im glad someone is finally making a video like this on the Drawn to Life franchise so I can finally get closure as to *why* they did that.
I was the warrior cat artistic kid i made some gorgeous pixel art and used the templates+paint bucket to repaint and change the colors or edit the existing designs they could give you
The fact that the Wii one was a completely different studio explains why it was so weird, that's all I had other than the first one and second one on DS and I thought the Wii game was wack
Not me being called out for being a warrior cat girl when I was a teenager. Will it not haunt me? Is it with me until I’m ashes? Will I have to carry this into an afterlife? I’m terrified.
I think a sensible way a new Drawn to Life sequel could come and have it still be a coma is if Mike had returned to being comatose much later in his life (non-willing obviously). Prehaps Mikes life hasn't been particularly great, so he consciously embraces the coma, retreating back into the fantasy he created as a child. they twist could be how he fell into a coma again and what his current living situation is which could be foreshadowed as his current mindset reflected in this new coma world. That's at least I would have liked to seen.
It's odd but in a way I really wanted the next iteration to be in a similar vein to the game That Dragon, Cancer. Maybe not style wise necessarily, but a similar concept of coping with it all.
So, I watched this entire video, and dont get me wrong, I'm very happy that this is putting more eyes on the series, but it seems like this video was more of you explaining how your first playthrough went for these games rather than an actual retrospective. I agree with a lot of your gameplay critiques and praises, and I really like the biblical analysis of the DS games, as it is 100% what Slaczka was going for. I also really enjoy the history on 5th Cell and the focus on the time between the games, as many people tend to overlook the impact that time can have on a series. The majority of this video is great, but there's a lot of bits a pieces that I do have gripes with, and I feel like I have to point them out, if not just to get my feelings into print: Its honestly a shame that the Wii game wasnt covered in this video. I understand that the game isnt as good, but why emulate the DS games but not the Wii one? It would have fixed your gripe about motion controls and opened another hour of content for this video, as the Wii game has a very interesting development history. Slaczka didn't do much on TNC either. He focused hard on Scribblenauts, and Tringali, 5th Cells co-founder (and DigitalContinue's co-founder), took the reigns for TNC in most aspects. This isn't to say Slaczka had no involvement, just not as much as you implied he did throughout the video. Now for all the Two Realms stuff, because I honestly feel like you did your viewers a disservice during this section: It feels like you just wanted to complain about TR rather than giving it a fair chance to be itself. I understand being upset at Two Realms (I am too), especially since there's so much that isn't explained, but a lot of what you said about TR and the time leading up to it was blatantly false or flat out pessimistic simply because it wasn't the DS games. Digital Continue had pitched multiple DTL3's to 505 in the time between the iOS port and TR, and TR was just the one that got approved. The budget was small (as seen in the advertising, poor QA, and mobile-first ideals) sure, but the game is in no ways a spit in the face to TNC's ending. The coma twist is not undone, nor retconned, just reframed. Nothing about the DS games is changed for TR. Spoilers for TR: the climax of the game (as well as Mike's arc overall) revolves around Mike confronting the driver of the other car in the accident, blaming the town for not supporting him in the aftermath, and dealing with survivors guilt. Yes, the Raposa aspect of the game needed a more work and polish, but it's not necessarily a bad evolution of what TNC gave us. The Raposa plot is wrapped up, and the Human plot needs to plant its seeds. You mention the lockdown but neglect to mention how that could have impacted development time at all. Im not saying that the lockdown is confirmed to have an impact on the game, but you have all the puzzle pieces to make a very educated guess on why development was as rocky as it was, yet you don't put them together. The lack of research you did for this video shines through to people who know the series well. So many of the inaccuracies or misinformation could be fixed by referencing the wiki, and I know you know it exists because you put the Two Realms' trivia section in the video. I love the message at the end of this video, but you can't spend 15 minutes being pessimistic and turn around on a dime stating you don't want to be pessimistic. I really don't mean for this comment to be rude, but seeing a video with this much love behind come out missing so much feels like a disservice to the series and the teams who put so much time into it. I really do thank you for making this video to get more people back into the series though, and I hope the outcome of this video is more people spending more time with the classics they love and learning more about the people that gave them their favorite games.
I played through this game all the way through as a kid. When u mentioned how the mayor of water song ran away from her shame and wanted to die, it added a whole new layer to the ending of the game
Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter is my favorite game of alltime. It is still one of the greatest experiances that has ever stuck with me, and changed me as a person. It was a shame what happened with Two Realms but the first two games still are very very close to my heart, and I will almost always cry if I hear Real Life or Light of My Life again.
Music in order of Appearance: Book of Life - Drawn to Life Luca - Final Fantasy X GTS Theme - Pokémon Platinum File Select - Super Mario Galaxy Provincial City Roland - Trails in the Sky Please... - Drawn to Life Empty Creation Hall - Drawn to Life Drawing Theme - Drawn to Life Wilfre on the Bridge - Drawn to Life Snowy World - Drawn to Life A Freezing Breath - Scarlet Nexus Frost Man Theme - Mega Man 8 Submerged Castle - Pikmen 2 Computers - Hylics Village Theme - Drawn to Life Under the Moonlight - Drawn to Life Frostwind - Drawn to Life Space Fantasy - Super Mario Galaxy Confrontation - Tales of the Abyss Chapter I on the Ground - Drakengard Besaid Island - Final Fantasy X Chapter XIII Closing - Drakengard Main Menu Theme - Godzilla Unleashed False Hope - Drawn to Life Sadness - Sonic Adventure Final Boss - Drawn to Life The End - Drawn to Life Mari + Jowee - Drawn to Life Shurrey Hills - Tales of the Abyss Balamb Garden - Final Fantasy VIII Level 1 - SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom (GBA) Title Screen - Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Coloring - Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Ice Cap Zone Act 1 - Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Bikini Bottom Day Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Village of the Dog God - Shadow Hearts Covenant Holy Orders? - Guilty Gear X2 World of Ruin - Final Fantasy VI Trouble! - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Turtle Power - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Turtle Village - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter CreationHall - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Singing Sand - Hylics 2 Jowee and Mari - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Watersong Village - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Salem - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Courtyard - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Look Ma, I Fly Now! - Hylics 2 Sad - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Light of My Life - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Graaf - Emperor of Darkness - Xenogears Lavastream Village - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Ruins - Hylics Courtney Gears Battle - Ratchet and Clank 3 Omen - Xenogears Galactic Jungle Village - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Gathering Stars in the Night Sky - Xenogears The One Who is Torn Apart - Xenogears Map Room - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter CQD Bad End - Zero Time Dilemma Locke's Theme - Final Fantasy VI Wilfre's Wasteland - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Searching the Past - Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Trial End - Danganronpa V3 Memory 4 - Super Paper Mario Final Boss - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Tears of the Stars Hearts of the People - Xenogears Real Life - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Shebat, The Wind is Calling - Xenogears Window (Instrumental) - Tyler, The Creator Beyond - Yume 2kki Monochrome Memory - Under night in-Birth Alone in the World - Wild Arms Map 1 - Hylics Black Fairy - Silent Hill 2 To the Gateway - Super Mario Galaxy
Dude genuinely thank you so much for the effort put into this video essay and Ur contribution to the (slightly dying) DTL fandom. DTL (series) is one of my special interests and I was So disappointed like everyone else at the switch game- I thought it'd kill the fandom off for sure.
as a kid I drew some dramatic fanart of this game, since I never got past the first boss I quickly got very fanficcy with it and one of the pictures I drew was of Mari floatin all dramatically like she was ascending or something lol, her ears floating widely on each side of her head. My doctor uncle thought I'd drawn a uterus.
Its so damn wonderful to see someone do an actual retrospective of one of my favorite childhood games. Still got the physical copies of the 2 main games and that SpongeBob tie in game too. Seeing this video as of now was wonderful for the timing. Always loved the "Light of My Life" song even as a kid and well the story tying together about two siblings. Being an older brother myself I still cherish this game. Hell I'll get personal about this. I lost my sister as of the month of this comment being posted. We both love drawing and creativity. (Im persuring online art as of a few years now.) So seeing this video made me reminisce about my sister. She was young, both of us in our early 20s as of now. I won't forget her, we both were lights in our lifes. Imma grow up without her now but just means I gotta try my best for my other younger little sister and make sure I keep that bond with my youngest sister as an older brother. Love your videos man and im pretty sure this video will be one of my favs for personal reasons especially to watch this video for me and my late sister.
From a random person on the internet: My condolences and wishes of strength to you and her loved ones. May she always be present in some way to help those still here, may you find, make and share good things in your own pursuits with strength, joy and wisdom where possible, and may you meet again as this canvas of life has been fully colored, and the brushes of your soul begins a new painting in a different canvas.
I remember being just passed a literal toddler, and picking out Drawn to Life thinking it was Scribblenauts. The music has always stuck with me, the mood has always stuck with me. Drawn to Life is not a happy town, they are desperate. I was like 7 years old man, I never thought about this until now. F**k
you don't know how happy it makes me to see this game get more recognition online! This game series has been living in my head rent free since I was a kid. It was the first thing that really got me interested in pursuing art, and it was also the first thing that really got me thinking about existence. I didn't even know there was a replacement ending until recently, so I'm glad I can count myself among the kids who got their soul destroyed by this game lmao
I understand why parents would be pissed off, you said yourself in the video death is a heavy topic for kids, the end of life itself is so heavy even adults are crushed by it. That being said the ending is very beautiful and I hate that they had to change it.
The ending to the next chapter is something i remember first seeing ironically on a car ride home with my mom deep into the night. At the time, I didn't fully understand why the cute and color characters vanished, and the real life art style made me feel.. confused. It kind of stayed that way until I got older, I was a pretty sheltered kid, I wasn't allowed to do a lot of things so I didn't really know much about the world, and some of the horrors it brings. Its something that only when I was a teenager did I begin to even comprehend, and understand as I became an adult. There is objectively no other video game that's had such a lasting impression on my mind, The game did not traumatize me as a child, but it definitely was one of my first exposures to concept of death, and acceptance.
Man I loved the Wii version 😭was my childhood. Enjoyed the puzzles that require active drawing instead of everything just being canvases. Tho do agree it sucks as a way of drawing, but then again it also had free shape tools to help out in that respect.
honestly as a christian this is an amazing biblical story while not being sanctimonious about it. The end sounds very much like the events of The End of Days. Earth as we know it exists because of the Devil. He rules the earth and does everything in his power to keep his power by exploiting the weaknesses of it's people. He makes his final hail mary moves on the final days in order to keep his kingdom. Once Satan is defeated God destroys all of creation and will bring forth a new world carrying the souls he's saved with him into it
I loved this game as a kid! I was said artsy girl you described lol nobody else I knew played it but I spent so many school nights staying up to get my drawings perfect. The ending made me cry but I must have replayed the game a couple dozen times at because I loved it so much I memorized it in its entirety.
@@ShinyRaichu94 that might be a bit too harsh... to Nuts & Bolts, given the sheer amount of freedom to build your vehicles, unlike the comically small number of tools in Two Realms
Two realms couldve worked if they just ran with the dream option. The senario is mari, jowee and the others couldve come back in mikes dreams. A new villian is a nightmare based on PTSD and wants to establish insomnia cause of the accident he had. Maybe hes afraid of sleeping cause he thinks he'll slip back into a coma again. Everytime he sleeps, he goes to the village and the villagers are parts of his psyche trying to repair him. If theres a blocked route or a problem he couldnt solve in the dream, he couldve done something in the waking world to fix it AND giving more lore and character development about his real family. As he slowly fixes his PTSD by breaking those barriers, he sleeps better and longer, thus you open up more and more levels, slowly getting rid of the insomnia. Now of course it'll be on switch but it couldve been one of, if the not FIRST game to actually use the switches touch screen in game. They definitely couldve use the touch screen for drawing but if that was too much, do something else and work around it. Instead of drawing, use the scribblenaunts writing system idea if that wasnt copyrighted or use assets to create new things like what mario maker did. Brilliant ideas can come from limitations. There. I fixed a big chunk of Two Worlds's story and gameplay all while sitting on the toilet. I gave AND made more effort than the entirety of what we really got.
Finaly! Someone who sees the potencial that 2 realms had instead of writting it off (still valid tho). I think the game could have took an Omori like style, since it still would have the impact of Next Chapter's ending.
wait the drawn to life series has a new game on the switch? this is the first time i heard about this also my experience with the series is that i only played the first game and man was it fun to play. I love it.
Just a fair warning. It wasn’t made by the same team as the first two games. The only returning person for the project was the composer. The fanbase agrees it was a disappointing nostalgia cash grab.
Not trying to nit pick without reason, but in the span of a minute at the start of this video you described the game as being both one of the hottest games on the wildly successful ds, and then immediately calling it obscure and under rated
was not expecting to see a 3 hour video going over this series i was so surprised and happy because i kinda forgot about this game that being said i only played the next chapter but its cool to know there were more games if anything this is just a reminder for me to add some of the music to my playlist considering that was one of my favorite parts of the game other then the art
Another deep cut topic, love the variety with your videos. So little discussion online with this one, super cool that you covered the spinoff titles also.
I’ve been waiting for a video like this for soooo long thank you so much for creating this which is a work of art itself. Drawn to Life has impacted me so much and informed just the way I’ve thought about media since I played it as a kid and really fostered my love of storytelling and games themselves and it’s so rewarding to see someone finally give it the retrospective it deserves
I don't think Heather's half-dark face necessarily represents the bandages themselves, but the injury beneath them. And since its entirely possible for Mike to witness his sister being injured before getting knocked out, I think it would also eliminate the weird implications of him being able to (apparently) totally see his surroundings while comatose. I also think leads to a more cohesive symbolism for the blackness representing the injuries caused by the carcrash
Man, that...got heavy, huh? For everyone who needs it, accept this virtual hug. It's not much, but I hope it can help. Wherever you are in life, I know things will be okay for you. Don't lose hope and keep on living. It will be alright. On that note, I think I'll finally get some sleep. Goodnight, everyone.
The ending of Next Chapter wasn't sad for me. And spoiler alert ahead: The way I interpreted it, the Raposa are a part of Mike's imagination. And while he survives, so do they. He is free to be his own Creator without the fear of fading now. And he has Jowee and Mari to base his new world on, or even remade anew as something new. They were always imaginary, they aren't truly alive, so they aren't truly dead. Its all up to Mike in the end. In Game God gave him that chance. And Wilfre was taking it away by killing him. If Mike dies, so does the Raposa. There wouldn't be a world left without his imagination. Of course its bittersweet, but a blank page is only a canvas for something new. That is what the ending felt for me. Mike is free to imagine without the danger of Wilfre limiting it. He can paint that canvas as we had through both games. The Raposa are only as dead as he imagines it.
Wanna know the funniest thing? A rerelease of the second game tried to make the ending feel not as shocking. And it was so poorly received, this comment made by adiankeogh9994 sums it up the best: "Yeah, no. I'll take the believable comatose explanation of a fatal car crash. That one explains much more about the game and characters anyway."
A 3-hour video about one of my favorite video game franchises of all time?! Sign me up! Drawn To Life and The Next Chapter were some of my favorite games to play on the DS and 3DS (when my DS’ bottom screen stopped registering touch location correctly) as a kid. I still remember being hyped to play The Next Chapter when it came through the mail and bawling at the world ending (although my copy of the game was the one where Mike fell out the tree, so when I found out about the original ending, I was shocked to my core). Being able to draw whoever and whatever you want as the main character and set pieces is such a fun gimmick for a game. The music and overall designs of the characters are awesome too, and I couldn’t recommend the story enough (although, maybe just read it for Two Realms since unfortunately, that game is a frustrating, buggy mess that does not capture the same magic as the DS games).
I always cried playing both games. I was always socially awkward and found it very difficult to talk to my older brother who bullied me relentlessly. Seeing the enemies (the little strolling guys) walking next eachother with cheery music and looked cute and happy. Always made me feel sad as i view them as... brothers, and happy with eachother. I wanted that and never tried to hurt them at all when i was young. I remember beating both games and next chapter really messed me up in my thinking. You pointed out how sacrifice was very important and thinking of being loving for the future and wanting to ensure that safety and love was passed down. I was very emotionalal at this time and that message made me want to contibue on. To not give up and to have a future to give and continue for someone else. Yhe reposas not only dying, but not existing anymore still haunts me, and did when i was a child. The thought of not existing, but the opposite message is also there too, to live on with faith. There is a purpose. And as a child, having this question and answer proposed both humbled me, and guided me for years to come. This series is defining in its message, and handles the deep topics masterfully that no other game has made me cry, except drawn to life.
This is absolutely my childhood nostalgia talking but I loved those janky levels in the first game. I actually liked that there were no maps, levels felt artificially big enough to get lost in and it made discovering areas I didn't know existed feel really rewarding and requiring real effort without guides or safety nets. I'd play a lot of these levels over and over just to enjoy the music and atmosphere of the locations. I'm even nostalgic for those awful bosses. Especially the tree and fish haha. The hitboxes were brutal but losing parts of your drawn self and reverting to a mannequin made things feel more brutal and hardcore than they actually were, I'd feel like i was pulling along grievously injured and barely alive from battle. I do agree the drawing aspect was underwhelming, even as a kid i was disappointed that i couldn't draw everything the way the marketing seemed to claim.
When I was given a Nintendo DS in 2007, This was one of four games I was given off the bat. I immediately became obsessed. This game shaped my love for deeply interpersonal rpgs that really get you thinking
Okay, after sitting down and watching the video in one single sitting I can finally say I really liked it. Drawn to Life kept me entertained for a long time as a kid. I loved the challenge some levels could give, and was deeply touched (even at a young age) with the story of Next Chapter. I grew up in a deeply Christian household, so the subtext definitely stuck with me. I never made it to the end of the first game, but did finish the Spongebob spin-off and played Next Chapter over and over and over again. There's something special about how the story changes what it means depending on when you play it. As a child, it was the story that made me grasp and understand the concept of death. Life fading from your own personal world. As a teenager, I read it as the story of how your imagination and creativity are what essentially breathe life in you, and how losing that is akin to dying. Becoming an empty, colourless husk, like Wilfre. I played it again a short while after my grandma had passed away, and that coloured how I saw the game a lot. It felt like a story of holding on to your loved ones, to want to sacrifice everything for your family and those you care about, and how much pain it brings when you realize you can't always do that. Sometimes, I play the game just up to the end of Watersong, just to see that one scene and hear that song. This is a great video. I remembered why I liked the game(s) so much.
PHINEAS AND FERB FOR THE DS ACTUALLY IS A SLEEPER HIT I DIDNT FORGET Anyway, I loved Drawn to Life so much and it’s great to see its legacy remembered with so much passion. I’ve watched so many franchises I know and love die tragically, but DtL is unique in that it came back as a man made horror beyond human comprehension. I can’t blame them honestly for how they made the ending of the second game noncanon, because where do you go when you’ve ended the second game by destroying literally everything (I still think the retcon sucks though). I still have faith, I still have hope. Chibi-Robo is getting a spiritual successor, Starfy got on NSO last July, and Katamari got some remakes. I’m hoping DtL can join them among the “semi-returned”. Also yes, Ultron’s games seem like slop at first because of all the licensed games, but the gameplay and even the spritework are stellar! No lie and nostalgia aside.
Man, it's nice to see a retrospective video on such an underrated video game series. I loved these games as a child, equally to Pokemon and Mario or Sonic. I can still recall the ending of Next Chapter being such a emotional moment in my childhood where I bawled my eyes out after hearing 'Real Life', even now the song really tugs at my heart a bit. As for the game play and story, the 1st game really did feel janky with the invisible hit boxes and mechanics, I don't think I truly finished that game cause I had such a hard time beating the 3rd boss as a child. Looking back at Next Chapter, the lack of villagers from your town dampens the impact of Mari's send off at the end, but gameplay wise, imo, I also remember the Wilfre battle being much more easier than the Giant Raposa battle, which I was stuck at for the longest time. Other than that, I feel like the series ending with Mike waking up from his coma comes off very bittersweet rather than disappointing. He loses his parents, almost dies, but he still has his sister there for him and he won against his coma. Also a little part of me hopes that Mari and Jowee live on in him as his creations. I would have loved a sequel or comics to Next Chapter with the Raposas being a way for Mike to come to terms with his trauma, maybe he would make the characters come to life in a drawing/story book sort of way, rather than whatever Two Realms was trying to do.
Thank you so much for your time and effort towards making this video, Drawn to Life is such a special game to me. Listening to Rose's Song and the Ending made me cry so much again.
The name was simple and that meant I would constantly forget it as I grew up. Finding it again a couple years ago was such a bombshell. It was such a fantastic game series
I think literally drawn to life the next chapter was the first game I’ve ever played, and all I remember is it being a goofy little game where I get to draw everything and the entire story flew over my head
This is the first game/piece of media that ever made me cry. I was 7 I think when I finished it, maybe older. Finished it in the middle of the night and quietly cried myself to sleep.
THANK YOU! FOR THIS VIDEO! It was my childhood game that kept me going trough some hard times when nobody cared enough to do so. It was tragically sweet, a beautiful story that had to be opened with at times janky controls.
I would like a "Scribbled to Life" type of game; • Scribblenauts notebook mechanic • Drawn to Life style drawing customized characters, creatures, objects, weapons, etcetera.
for the third chapter, it's the first time I heard of it so idk if that's the case, but Mike could have kept on dreaming and imagining the Raposa world, basically becoming the Creator and bringing them back to life. But if that's what happened they probably would have made it clearer. I remember as a teen having this very idea for a fangame lol Also had an idea of Nights actually being saved by fusing with a Nightopian who somewhow was there lol I didn't handle those deaths well lol
I found the cartridge of the first game at a park that someone lost, and it became my most played game out of all of my games. I hope the person that lost it wasn't too sad.
Dude I played through the original many times as a kid (grew up with it). I had the sequel with the original uncensored ending. It bloody well destroyed me and I had to pretend that ending didn’t exist. This series means a lot to me and it’s great to see someone talk about it. Especially as someone who was an early Z that grew up with the DS. I still have many of my games even now.
I remember playing the next chapter with another kid in my grandparent's neighborhood growing up. I was and still do kinda suck at video games so he'd help me with the gameplay while I did all the drawing, which was good fun.
Interesting fact of Scribblenauts, it wasn't an E for Everyone Everywhere. I can still remember me being interested in it, but my mother didn't buy it because the Dutch copy was rated 12+ and I was 11 at the time. Probably because some of solutions or options would be seen as not-suited for young kids, but I have never played the game, so it's just a guess. Nice video though, I played a pirated copy and might just like you described, corrupted the game with the save files as I never got the ending. Also, I can't remember much of the story itself (Watersong does bring up a lot of good memories though)
Great video man I've been watching your stuff since the "Batman's Darkest Villain/Mario 64's Darkest Stage" days and I gotta say this video, the Hylics one and the Postal one have been some of my favorite content on youtube. You are an auto click if I see a new video from you I cant wait to see what you do next.
I played the original and next chapter. I adored the first game, and the second... While I like what it updated and some story parts, I hated the ending. Not because it was dark, but how it refused to give the player any details on what was going on till the end. Everything was kept hidden away with no real hints, or hints that were there were implied to be something else, just pointing blame on different characters that left me confused on who was really causing what. The player was left in the dark more than the characters. It really didn't help that was around the time were the coma theory was being slapped onto everything, so seeing a game do this without more context during the game left a bad taste. If any of the characters said more about Mike besides "he's involved", was shown his self insert was slowly becoming unwell, or regaining little bits of memory for the beginning question as areas got color, it would've helped the feeling that something was wrong feel more earned. Seeing your video talking about parts that flew over my head as a kid makes me appreciate it both games a lot more, but doesn't change how the ending felt to me. Even explained here it feels just as confused and wanting to connect dots that we weren't given enough info on till everything is thrown at us at once. On two realms though, geez, I heard it wasn't good but I didn't realize it was this bad. And the story could've worked too. It could've been Mike still recovering from the accident trying to remember the characters he saw in his coma to save them, recreating the world and characters from scratch while also using them as a way to handle real life post trauma, the hero being an imaginary friend to wander with in the real world. It would explain Wilfre being there too, being nothing more than another character to save in Mike's eyes. The rest I can't see a save for though without completely redoing it.
I vividly remember that the mast chapter was my first profound experience with existential dread. I had seen stuff like the never ending story where I understood the concept snd found it frightening and captivating. But in drawn to life, it directly demanded my interaction. I needed to take part in ending the world and these characters I felt so attached to. I very much wasn’t okay after that.
Haven't watched the video yet but i'd just like to ask op how you got into my house and heard me listening to the entire Drawn to Life The Next Chapter OST literally three days ago 😐 this is literally so scary, thank u in advance for the video i Needed
I had no idea that the ending was changed. I only ever saw the updated one. So when I saw the original in this video, it was so jarring. Like. This isn’t what happened? Right? Got me gaslighting myself that I just imagined Mike falling out of the tree. Also yeah. Definitely teared up at both Light of My Life and Real Life. Still to this day.
Man. As someone who played this series as a kid my feelings are... Very mixed about it. I loved the first game on DS, it was one of my main escapes from all the shit that was happening in my life. The ending looping endlessly kinda frustrated me, but I just made new files, new characters and adventures. And then the sequel came about. I played it, and... As someone who'd been in a car accident when I was young, it destroyed me. It shattered the world I'd built, everything I knew and loved about the first game... It was gone. It wasn't the happy world I once knew and loved anymore. I just couldn't see it the same way again. I never played the Wii versions or Two Realms after that, but... It doesn't look like I missed much on that front.
i been waiting for someone to make a draw to life video like this plus the nostalgia hits hard like a emotional roller coaster since when i play the first 2 games i didn't under stand it since i was a kid at the time plus the song "light of my life" made me shed a tear when watching this since i now under stand this games theme
Hey man, awesome video! I haven’t played these since I was a kid so I never really noticed the religious symbolism. I really liked your comparison of the Hero to a golem in Judaism. Another thing I don’t know you mentioned was that Jowee and Mari could be stand-ins for Joseph and Mary, and the Hero they pray for is like Jesus, their own messiah.
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They won't go through the kids if this the one game is not is that
Ayo I just wanted to say thanks for making this video
I never finished DTLTNC as a kid because I was scared of it
My parents got it for me on Christmas and before making it halfway through the game I returned it to GameStop for another
I've always looked back and regretted that decision but never went out of my way to learn about the rest of the story
Thank you for bringing closure to a lingering thread in my life
I teared up at the Real Life portion where the ending was shown
The way you talked about it moved me as well
That song and Wilfre's final form were familiar to me in ways I can't describe but it was so satisfying to final have a part of my life bookended in such an emotional way
Thank you so much dawg
And thanks to the 5thcell members responsible for such an emotional story in a kids game
I just wish I was brave enough as a child to get to that ending myself
Yeah that's all I got
I'ma look up a playthrough of locks quest
Gotta chase the bag
It’s about time someone made a 3-hour video about Drawn To Life and not some 30 minute video about its ending!
This series has so little retrospectives on it, let alone long ones. I simply had to be the first to do it
@@heypeterRealalso, Mari is pronounced “Mar-Ee.” Like how Tiki would say Marth’s name, or how sea is kinda pronounced in Spanish.
People talking about the actual games and not just the ending twist? Wild
Also DTL SpongeBob is unironically the best one
It took me until watching this to realize that my copy of the game had censored the ending. Expecting to see a kid falling from a tree the whole video and seeing a car crash was genuinely a huge fucking shock
Someone getting jumpscared by the ending in 2024 is insane
Yeah actually wtf, I did not know this ending existed
@@heypeterReal The power of Jesus Christ, the messiah.
I had a downloaded ROM and had the uncensored ending. Was a genuine shock since I'd never played the game before
It almost seemed to me that Jowee and Mike are the same person, Jowee being how Mike sees himself, and Mike simply being an observer, watching and going along with his own spiraling mind and imagination
Or Jowee was how God saw Mike in a grander scale of life.
I know the ending to this game was changed because it was ‘too sad’ but I had one of the original copies of the game with the original ending. Just a few years prior to playing this I had been in a car crash myself. While I was fine physically, the games ending ripped open the scab that was my mental trauma from the crash. I remember crying for literal hours, and afterwards tried to forget it even existed.
I feel like the parents complaining about the ending completely missed _why_ their kids were upset, bc I feel like the alternative ending would be even more upsetting.
The whole world and story actually being a coma dream is one thing - it hurts but there's a weight to it and comas are kinda mysterious so it feels like it has more meaning, but it all being a normal-ass dream from a kid with a slight concussion feels like a straight up undercutting of everything the player was emotionally put through.
The former might make the kid cry, but the latter will leave them hollowed out.. and I think that might be even more traumatizing in the long term?
lol. lmao even.
The ending this franchise scarred me as a child. Im glad someone is finally making a video like this on the Drawn to Life franchise so I can finally get closure as to *why* they did that.
I feel the exact same! I went through the original and sequel BOTH as a kid and stopped at the end because I was terrified to even enter the level.
ME TOO!!!
SAME 9 year old me was not prepared for that ending
I ended up constantly playing the game over and over again to process what happened
I was the warrior cat artistic kid i made some gorgeous pixel art and used the templates+paint bucket to repaint and change the colors or edit the existing designs they could give you
The fact that the Wii one was a completely different studio explains why it was so weird, that's all I had other than the first one and second one on DS and I thought the Wii game was wack
no same I was literally a warrior cats animation mf 😭 I would go all out on the designs in the ds game
Not me being called out for being a warrior cat girl when I was a teenager. Will it not haunt me? Is it with me until I’m ashes? Will I have to carry this into an afterlife? I’m terrified.
Unfortunately you'll never forget the warrior cats series
I think a sensible way a new Drawn to Life sequel could come and have it still be a coma is if Mike had returned to being comatose much later in his life (non-willing obviously). Prehaps Mikes life hasn't been particularly great, so he consciously embraces the coma, retreating back into the fantasy he created as a child. they twist could be how he fell into a coma again and what his current living situation is which could be foreshadowed as his current mindset reflected in this new coma world. That's at least I would have liked to seen.
It's odd but in a way I really wanted the next iteration to be in a similar vein to the game That Dragon, Cancer. Maybe not style wise necessarily, but a similar concept of coping with it all.
I remember crying so hard and being so confused at the end of the second game. I loved the series so much. Thank you for talking about it
I'm a professional illustrator, so why do I think Peter's Samael design is so genuinely cool??
So, I watched this entire video, and dont get me wrong, I'm very happy that this is putting more eyes on the series, but it seems like this video was more of you explaining how your first playthrough went for these games rather than an actual retrospective.
I agree with a lot of your gameplay critiques and praises, and I really like the biblical analysis of the DS games, as it is 100% what Slaczka was going for. I also really enjoy the history on 5th Cell and the focus on the time between the games, as many people tend to overlook the impact that time can have on a series. The majority of this video is great, but there's a lot of bits a pieces that I do have gripes with, and I feel like I have to point them out, if not just to get my feelings into print:
Its honestly a shame that the Wii game wasnt covered in this video. I understand that the game isnt as good, but why emulate the DS games but not the Wii one? It would have fixed your gripe about motion controls and opened another hour of content for this video, as the Wii game has a very interesting development history.
Slaczka didn't do much on TNC either. He focused hard on Scribblenauts, and Tringali, 5th Cells co-founder (and DigitalContinue's co-founder), took the reigns for TNC in most aspects. This isn't to say Slaczka had no involvement, just not as much as you implied he did throughout the video.
Now for all the Two Realms stuff, because I honestly feel like you did your viewers a disservice during this section:
It feels like you just wanted to complain about TR rather than giving it a fair chance to be itself. I understand being upset at Two Realms (I am too), especially since there's so much that isn't explained, but a lot of what you said about TR and the time leading up to it was blatantly false or flat out pessimistic simply because it wasn't the DS games.
Digital Continue had pitched multiple DTL3's to 505 in the time between the iOS port and TR, and TR was just the one that got approved. The budget was small (as seen in the advertising, poor QA, and mobile-first ideals) sure, but the game is in no ways a spit in the face to TNC's ending. The coma twist is not undone, nor retconned, just reframed. Nothing about the DS games is changed for TR.
Spoilers for TR: the climax of the game (as well as Mike's arc overall) revolves around Mike confronting the driver of the other car in the accident, blaming the town for not supporting him in the aftermath, and dealing with survivors guilt. Yes, the Raposa aspect of the game needed a more work and polish, but it's not necessarily a bad evolution of what TNC gave us. The Raposa plot is wrapped up, and the Human plot needs to plant its seeds.
You mention the lockdown but neglect to mention how that could have impacted development time at all. Im not saying that the lockdown is confirmed to have an impact on the game, but you have all the puzzle pieces to make a very educated guess on why development was as rocky as it was, yet you don't put them together.
The lack of research you did for this video shines through to people who know the series well. So many of the inaccuracies or misinformation could be fixed by referencing the wiki, and I know you know it exists because you put the Two Realms' trivia section in the video.
I love the message at the end of this video, but you can't spend 15 minutes being pessimistic and turn around on a dime stating you don't want to be pessimistic. I really don't mean for this comment to be rude, but seeing a video with this much love behind come out missing so much feels like a disservice to the series and the teams who put so much time into it.
I really do thank you for making this video to get more people back into the series though, and I hope the outcome of this video is more people spending more time with the classics they love and learning more about the people that gave them their favorite games.
Would you say TR's story is worth it then? You made me curious
commenting to hopefully bump this higher
Thank you.
I played through this game all the way through as a kid. When u mentioned how the mayor of water song ran away from her shame and wanted to die, it added a whole new layer to the ending of the game
Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter is my favorite game of alltime. It is still one of the greatest experiances that has ever stuck with me, and changed me as a person. It was a shame what happened with Two Realms but the first two games still are very very close to my heart, and I will almost always cry if I hear Real Life or Light of My Life again.
Music in order of Appearance:
Book of Life - Drawn to Life
Luca - Final Fantasy X
GTS Theme - Pokémon Platinum
File Select - Super Mario Galaxy
Provincial City Roland - Trails in the Sky
Please... - Drawn to Life
Empty Creation Hall - Drawn to Life
Drawing Theme - Drawn to Life
Wilfre on the Bridge - Drawn to Life
Snowy World - Drawn to Life
A Freezing Breath - Scarlet Nexus
Frost Man Theme - Mega Man 8
Submerged Castle - Pikmen 2
Computers - Hylics
Village Theme - Drawn to Life
Under the Moonlight - Drawn to Life
Frostwind - Drawn to Life
Space Fantasy - Super Mario Galaxy
Confrontation - Tales of the Abyss
Chapter I on the Ground - Drakengard
Besaid Island - Final Fantasy X
Chapter XIII Closing - Drakengard
Main Menu Theme - Godzilla Unleashed
False Hope - Drawn to Life
Sadness - Sonic Adventure
Final Boss - Drawn to Life
The End - Drawn to Life
Mari + Jowee - Drawn to Life
Shurrey Hills - Tales of the Abyss
Balamb Garden - Final Fantasy VIII
Level 1 - SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom (GBA)
Title Screen - Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants
Coloring - Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants
Ice Cap Zone Act 1 - Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Bikini Bottom Day Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants
Village of the Dog God - Shadow Hearts Covenant
Holy Orders? - Guilty Gear X2
World of Ruin - Final Fantasy VI
Trouble! - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Turtle Power - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Turtle Village - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
CreationHall - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Singing Sand - Hylics 2
Jowee and Mari - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Watersong Village - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Salem - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Courtyard - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Look Ma, I Fly Now! - Hylics 2
Sad - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Light of My Life - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Graaf - Emperor of Darkness - Xenogears
Lavastream Village - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Ruins - Hylics
Courtney Gears Battle - Ratchet and Clank 3
Omen - Xenogears
Galactic Jungle Village - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Gathering Stars in the Night Sky - Xenogears
The One Who is Torn Apart - Xenogears
Map Room - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
CQD Bad End - Zero Time Dilemma
Locke's Theme - Final Fantasy VI
Wilfre's Wasteland - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Searching the Past - Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Trial End - Danganronpa V3
Memory 4 - Super Paper Mario
Final Boss - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Tears of the Stars Hearts of the People - Xenogears
Real Life - Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Shebat, The Wind is Calling - Xenogears
Window (Instrumental) - Tyler, The Creator
Beyond - Yume 2kki
Monochrome Memory - Under night in-Birth
Alone in the World - Wild Arms
Map 1 - Hylics
Black Fairy - Silent Hill 2
To the Gateway - Super Mario Galaxy
Dude genuinely thank you so much for the effort put into this video essay and Ur contribution to the (slightly dying) DTL fandom. DTL (series) is one of my special interests and I was So disappointed like everyone else at the switch game- I thought it'd kill the fandom off for sure.
as a kid I drew some dramatic fanart of this game, since I never got past the first boss I quickly got very fanficcy with it and one of the pictures I drew was of Mari floatin all dramatically like she was ascending or something lol, her ears floating widely on each side of her head.
My doctor uncle thought I'd drawn a uterus.
Its so damn wonderful to see someone do an actual retrospective of one of my favorite childhood games. Still got the physical copies of the 2 main games and that SpongeBob tie in game too.
Seeing this video as of now was wonderful for the timing. Always loved the "Light of My Life" song even as a kid and well the story tying together about two siblings. Being an older brother myself I still cherish this game.
Hell I'll get personal about this. I lost my sister as of the month of this comment being posted. We both love drawing and creativity. (Im persuring online art as of a few years now.) So seeing this video made me reminisce about my sister. She was young, both of us in our early 20s as of now. I won't forget her, we both were lights in our lifes. Imma grow up without her now but just means I gotta try my best for my other younger little sister and make sure I keep that bond with my youngest sister as an older brother.
Love your videos man and im pretty sure this video will be one of my favs for personal reasons especially to watch this video for me and my late sister.
From a random person on the internet: My condolences and wishes of strength to you and her loved ones. May she always be present in some way to help those still here, may you find, make and share good things in your own pursuits with strength, joy and wisdom where possible, and may you meet again as this canvas of life has been fully colored, and the brushes of your soul begins a new painting in a different canvas.
EXTREMELY glad that people still remember this series even after all this time, and not just about it’s messed up ending in the sequel specifically
I remember being just passed a literal toddler, and picking out Drawn to Life thinking it was Scribblenauts. The music has always stuck with me, the mood has always stuck with me. Drawn to Life is not a happy town, they are desperate. I was like 7 years old man, I never thought about this until now. F**k
The Next Chapter's opening made me cry as an 8 year old
I remember telling my parents to take it back despite me liking the gameplay
It just scared me
you don't know how happy it makes me to see this game get more recognition online! This game series has been living in my head rent free since I was a kid. It was the first thing that really got me interested in pursuing art, and it was also the first thing that really got me thinking about existence. I didn't even know there was a replacement ending until recently, so I'm glad I can count myself among the kids who got their soul destroyed by this game lmao
38:54 This followed by Wilfre walking with the Squidward walking sound made me laugh 😂
I understand why parents would be pissed off, you said yourself in the video death is a heavy topic for kids, the end of life itself is so heavy even adults are crushed by it.
That being said the ending is very beautiful and I hate that they had to change it.
The ending to the next chapter is something i remember first seeing ironically on a car ride home with my mom deep into the night. At the time, I didn't fully understand why the cute and color characters vanished, and the real life art style made me feel.. confused. It kind of stayed that way until I got older, I was a pretty sheltered kid, I wasn't allowed to do a lot of things so I didn't really know much about the world, and some of the horrors it brings. Its something that only when I was a teenager did I begin to even comprehend, and understand as I became an adult. There is objectively no other video game that's had such a lasting impression on my mind, The game did not traumatize me as a child, but it definitely was one of my first exposures to concept of death, and acceptance.
Man I loved the Wii version 😭was my childhood. Enjoyed the puzzles that require active drawing instead of everything just being canvases. Tho do agree it sucks as a way of drawing, but then again it also had free shape tools to help out in that respect.
Damn, that ending of Next Chapter is a daring one. Especially for a kids game. Have to applaude that.
This game fucked me up man
*edit: next chapter specifically*
Jesus christ that ending was so fucking brutal
honestly as a christian this is an amazing biblical story while not being sanctimonious about it. The end sounds very much like the events of The End of Days. Earth as we know it exists because of the Devil. He rules the earth and does everything in his power to keep his power by exploiting the weaknesses of it's people. He makes his final hail mary moves on the final days in order to keep his kingdom. Once Satan is defeated God destroys all of creation and will bring forth a new world carrying the souls he's saved with him into it
1:32:00 Yes... I really miss my mother... There are reasons I sing this song to myself every now and then for years now...
I'm about halfway through and I gotta say you've done a great job going through this series that always felt underappreciated.
I loved this game as a kid! I was said artsy girl you described lol nobody else I knew played it but I spent so many school nights staying up to get my drawings perfect. The ending made me cry but I must have replayed the game a couple dozen times at because I loved it so much I memorized it in its entirety.
This game was such a large part of my early gaming experience, yet I always forget about it. Pure nostalgia for me.
Drawn to Life: Two Realms is more like "Drawn to Life: Nuts & Bolts"...
@@ShinyRaichu94 that might be a bit too harsh... to Nuts & Bolts, given the sheer amount of freedom to build your vehicles, unlike the comically small number of tools in Two Realms
Two realms couldve worked if they just ran with the dream option. The senario is mari, jowee and the others couldve come back in mikes dreams. A new villian is a nightmare based on PTSD and wants to establish insomnia cause of the accident he had. Maybe hes afraid of sleeping cause he thinks he'll slip back into a coma again. Everytime he sleeps, he goes to the village and the villagers are parts of his psyche trying to repair him. If theres a blocked route or a problem he couldnt solve in the dream, he couldve done something in the waking world to fix it AND giving more lore and character development about his real family. As he slowly fixes his PTSD by breaking those barriers, he sleeps better and longer, thus you open up more and more levels, slowly getting rid of the insomnia.
Now of course it'll be on switch but it couldve been one of, if the not FIRST game to actually use the switches touch screen in game. They definitely couldve use the touch screen for drawing but if that was too much, do something else and work around it. Instead of drawing, use the scribblenaunts writing system idea if that wasnt copyrighted or use assets to create new things like what mario maker did. Brilliant ideas can come from limitations.
There. I fixed a big chunk of Two Worlds's story and gameplay all while sitting on the toilet. I gave AND made more effort than the entirety of what we really got.
Finaly! Someone who sees the potencial that 2 realms had instead of writting it off (still valid tho). I think the game could have took an Omori like style, since it still would have the impact of Next Chapter's ending.
wait the drawn to life series has a new game on the switch? this is the first time i heard about this also my experience with the series is that i only played the first game and man was it fun to play. I love it.
Just a fair warning. It wasn’t made by the same team as the first two games. The only returning person for the project was the composer. The fanbase agrees it was a disappointing nostalgia cash grab.
3 hours documentary about a game i grew up with religiously? this is gonna be great
Man 10 year old me playing a disembodied foot with a finger sword was not emotionally prepared for how the game ended...
Not trying to nit pick without reason, but in the span of a minute at the start of this video you described the game as being both one of the hottest games on the wildly successful ds, and then immediately calling it obscure and under rated
Thanks for making me emotional about a game series I've never even heard about, on a platform I've never owned.
Drawn To Lifes ost is still one of the best osts I've ever heard. Just so atmospheric.
Nah you know what, this did traumatize me because I was like oh they won't even die, they cease to exist
was not expecting to see a 3 hour video going over this series i was so surprised and happy because i kinda forgot about this game that being said i only played the next chapter but its cool to know there were more games if anything this is just a reminder for me to add some of the music to my playlist considering that was one of my favorite parts of the game other then the art
Another deep cut topic, love the variety with your videos. So little discussion online with this one, super cool that you covered the spinoff titles also.
@@macaronimatt5531 i appreciate that. I try not to be too pigeonholed into outright horror games, but I cover a variety of games on Strange Gaming
I’ve been waiting for a video like this for soooo long thank you so much for creating this which is a work of art itself. Drawn to Life has impacted me so much and informed just the way I’ve thought about media since I played it as a kid and really fostered my love of storytelling and games themselves and it’s so rewarding to see someone finally give it the retrospective it deserves
I don't think Heather's half-dark face necessarily represents the bandages themselves, but the injury beneath them. And since its entirely possible for Mike to witness his sister being injured before getting knocked out, I think it would also eliminate the weird implications of him being able to (apparently) totally see his surroundings while comatose. I also think leads to a more cohesive symbolism for the blackness representing the injuries caused by the carcrash
I got insane chills from him talking about the ending for the second game, I didn't expect it at all from drawn to life lol
Man, that...got heavy, huh? For everyone who needs it, accept this virtual hug. It's not much, but I hope it can help.
Wherever you are in life, I know things will be okay for you. Don't lose hope and keep on living. It will be alright.
On that note, I think I'll finally get some sleep. Goodnight, everyone.
That use of the Drakengard Ending E music for the third boss was _evil._
I remember how fucking weird this game made me feel. this was the first time i had an existential dread. ive been craving that high ever since.
The ending of Next Chapter wasn't sad for me. And spoiler alert ahead:
The way I interpreted it, the Raposa are a part of Mike's imagination. And while he survives, so do they. He is free to be his own Creator without the fear of fading now. And he has Jowee and Mari to base his new world on, or even remade anew as something new. They were always imaginary, they aren't truly alive, so they aren't truly dead. Its all up to Mike in the end. In Game God gave him that chance. And Wilfre was taking it away by killing him. If Mike dies, so does the Raposa. There wouldn't be a world left without his imagination. Of course its bittersweet, but a blank page is only a canvas for something new. That is what the ending felt for me. Mike is free to imagine without the danger of Wilfre limiting it. He can paint that canvas as we had through both games. The Raposa are only as dead as he imagines it.
I still sometimes pick up my old ds to play these games. Probably been through it twice. Loved these as a kid and the vibe of the game.
If anybody is curious about the song that plays during the ending of drawn to life I'll leave the name
Hayley Chipman - The End
Wanna know the funniest thing?
A rerelease of the second game tried to make the ending feel not as shocking. And it was so poorly received, this comment made by adiankeogh9994 sums it up the best:
"Yeah, no. I'll take the believable comatose explanation of a fatal car crash. That one explains much more about the game and characters anyway."
He mentions the rerelease
@@tech6hutch ah ok. Still, kinda funny that fans prefer the more shocking twist instead of the revised one.
A 3-hour video about one of my favorite video game franchises of all time?! Sign me up!
Drawn To Life and The Next Chapter were some of my favorite games to play on the DS and 3DS (when my DS’ bottom screen stopped registering touch location correctly) as a kid. I still remember being hyped to play The Next Chapter when it came through the mail and bawling at the world ending (although my copy of the game was the one where Mike fell out the tree, so when I found out about the original ending, I was shocked to my core).
Being able to draw whoever and whatever you want as the main character and set pieces is such a fun gimmick for a game. The music and overall designs of the characters are awesome too, and I couldn’t recommend the story enough (although, maybe just read it for Two Realms since unfortunately, that game is a frustrating, buggy mess that does not capture the same magic as the DS games).
I always cried playing both games. I was always socially awkward and found it very difficult to talk to my older brother who bullied me relentlessly. Seeing the enemies (the little strolling guys) walking next eachother with cheery music and looked cute and happy. Always made me feel sad as i view them as... brothers, and happy with eachother. I wanted that and never tried to hurt them at all when i was young. I remember beating both games and next chapter really messed me up in my thinking. You pointed out how sacrifice was very important and thinking of being loving for the future and wanting to ensure that safety and love was passed down. I was very emotionalal at this time and that message made me want to contibue on. To not give up and to have a future to give and continue for someone else. Yhe reposas not only dying, but not existing anymore still haunts me, and did when i was a child. The thought of not existing, but the opposite message is also there too, to live on with faith. There is a purpose. And as a child, having this question and answer proposed both humbled me, and guided me for years to come.
This series is defining in its message, and handles the deep topics masterfully that no other game has made me cry, except drawn to life.
This is absolutely my childhood nostalgia talking but I loved those janky levels in the first game. I actually liked that there were no maps, levels felt artificially big enough to get lost in and it made discovering areas I didn't know existed feel really rewarding and requiring real effort without guides or safety nets. I'd play a lot of these levels over and over just to enjoy the music and atmosphere of the locations. I'm even nostalgic for those awful bosses. Especially the tree and fish haha. The hitboxes were brutal but losing parts of your drawn self and reverting to a mannequin made things feel more brutal and hardcore than they actually were, I'd feel like i was pulling along grievously injured and barely alive from battle.
I do agree the drawing aspect was underwhelming, even as a kid i was disappointed that i couldn't draw everything the way the marketing seemed to claim.
When I was given a Nintendo DS in 2007, This was one of four games I was given off the bat. I immediately became obsessed. This game shaped my love for deeply interpersonal rpgs that really get you thinking
Okay, after sitting down and watching the video in one single sitting I can finally say I really liked it.
Drawn to Life kept me entertained for a long time as a kid. I loved the challenge some levels could give, and was deeply touched (even at a young age) with the story of Next Chapter.
I grew up in a deeply Christian household, so the subtext definitely stuck with me. I never made it to the end of the first game, but did finish the Spongebob spin-off and played Next Chapter over and over and over again.
There's something special about how the story changes what it means depending on when you play it. As a child, it was the story that made me grasp and understand the concept of death. Life fading from your own personal world. As a teenager, I read it as the story of how your imagination and creativity are what essentially breathe life in you, and how losing that is akin to dying. Becoming an empty, colourless husk, like Wilfre.
I played it again a short while after my grandma had passed away, and that coloured how I saw the game a lot. It felt like a story of holding on to your loved ones, to want to sacrifice everything for your family and those you care about, and how much pain it brings when you realize you can't always do that.
Sometimes, I play the game just up to the end of Watersong, just to see that one scene and hear that song.
This is a great video. I remembered why I liked the game(s) so much.
PHINEAS AND FERB FOR THE DS ACTUALLY IS A SLEEPER HIT I DIDNT FORGET
Anyway, I loved Drawn to Life so much and it’s great to see its legacy remembered with so much passion. I’ve watched so many franchises I know and love die tragically, but DtL is unique in that it came back as a man made horror beyond human comprehension. I can’t blame them honestly for how they made the ending of the second game noncanon, because where do you go when you’ve ended the second game by destroying literally everything (I still think the retcon sucks though).
I still have faith, I still have hope. Chibi-Robo is getting a spiritual successor, Starfy got on NSO last July, and Katamari got some remakes. I’m hoping DtL can join them among the “semi-returned”.
Also yes, Ultron’s games seem like slop at first because of all the licensed games, but the gameplay and even the spritework are stellar! No lie and nostalgia aside.
Man, it's nice to see a retrospective video on such an underrated video game series. I loved these games as a child, equally to Pokemon and Mario or Sonic.
I can still recall the ending of Next Chapter being such a emotional moment in my childhood where I bawled my eyes out after hearing 'Real Life', even now the song really tugs at my heart a bit.
As for the game play and story, the 1st game really did feel janky with the invisible hit boxes and mechanics, I don't think I truly finished that game cause I had such a hard time beating the 3rd boss as a child.
Looking back at Next Chapter, the lack of villagers from your town dampens the impact of Mari's send off at the end, but gameplay wise, imo, I also remember the Wilfre battle being much more easier than the Giant Raposa battle, which I was stuck at for the longest time.
Other than that, I feel like the series ending with Mike waking up from his coma comes off very bittersweet rather than disappointing. He loses his parents, almost dies, but he still has his sister there for him and he won against his coma. Also a little part of me hopes that Mari and Jowee live on in him as his creations.
I would have loved a sequel or comics to Next Chapter with the Raposas being a way for Mike to come to terms with his trauma, maybe he would make the characters come to life in a drawing/story book sort of way, rather than whatever Two Realms was trying to do.
Thank you so much for your time and effort towards making this video, Drawn to Life is such a special game to me. Listening to Rose's Song and the Ending made me cry so much again.
The name was simple and that meant I would constantly forget it as I grew up. Finding it again a couple years ago was such a bombshell. It was such a fantastic game series
I think literally drawn to life the next chapter was the first game I’ve ever played, and all I remember is it being a goofy little game where I get to draw everything and the entire story flew over my head
This is the first game/piece of media that ever made me cry. I was 7 I think when I finished it, maybe older. Finished it in the middle of the night and quietly cried myself to sleep.
Been awaiting this since the Harvest bake sale.
THANK YOU! FOR THIS VIDEO! It was my childhood game that kept me going trough some hard times when nobody cared enough to do so. It was tragically sweet, a beautiful story that had to be opened with at times janky controls.
I would like a "Scribbled to Life" type of game;
• Scribblenauts notebook mechanic
• Drawn to Life style drawing customized characters, creatures, objects, weapons, etcetera.
i was literally rewatching your coronation day video last night and i see one about one of my favorite video games of all time ABSOLUTE PEAK
Oh no, Jowee is gonna end up like the Ralphamale, a fate worse than death.
Ooh! I'm so glad to see this game being covered! It's a beloved franchise of mine
for the third chapter, it's the first time I heard of it so idk if that's the case, but Mike could have kept on dreaming and imagining the Raposa world, basically becoming the Creator and bringing them back to life. But if that's what happened they probably would have made it clearer.
I remember as a teen having this very idea for a fangame lol
Also had an idea of Nights actually being saved by fusing with a Nightopian who somewhow was there lol
I didn't handle those deaths well lol
"a mix of primitive and advanced" bro that's solarpunk
I found the cartridge of the first game at a park that someone lost, and it became my most played game out of all of my games. I hope the person that lost it wasn't too sad.
Dude I played through the original many times as a kid (grew up with it). I had the sequel with the original uncensored ending. It bloody well destroyed me and I had to pretend that ending didn’t exist.
This series means a lot to me and it’s great to see someone talk about it. Especially as someone who was an early Z that grew up with the DS. I still have many of my games even now.
I remember playing the next chapter with another kid in my grandparent's neighborhood growing up. I was and still do kinda suck at video games so he'd help me with the gameplay while I did all the drawing, which was good fun.
Okay, but you've got respect whoever it was who decided to explore the hollow, lifeless world of Two Realms as The Batter
Interesting fact of Scribblenauts, it wasn't an E for Everyone Everywhere.
I can still remember me being interested in it, but my mother didn't buy it because the Dutch copy was rated 12+ and I was 11 at the time.
Probably because some of solutions or options would be seen as not-suited for young kids, but I have never played the game, so it's just a guess.
Nice video though, I played a pirated copy and might just like you described, corrupted the game with the save files as I never got the ending. Also, I can't remember much of the story itself (Watersong does bring up a lot of good memories though)
Great video man I've been watching your stuff since the "Batman's Darkest Villain/Mario 64's Darkest Stage" days and I gotta say this video, the Hylics one and the Postal one have been some of my favorite content on youtube.
You are an auto click if I see a new video from you I cant wait to see what you do next.
This game series forever remains in my heart when I played it in the past
I played the original and next chapter. I adored the first game, and the second... While I like what it updated and some story parts, I hated the ending. Not because it was dark, but how it refused to give the player any details on what was going on till the end. Everything was kept hidden away with no real hints, or hints that were there were implied to be something else, just pointing blame on different characters that left me confused on who was really causing what. The player was left in the dark more than the characters. It really didn't help that was around the time were the coma theory was being slapped onto everything, so seeing a game do this without more context during the game left a bad taste. If any of the characters said more about Mike besides "he's involved", was shown his self insert was slowly becoming unwell, or regaining little bits of memory for the beginning question as areas got color, it would've helped the feeling that something was wrong feel more earned. Seeing your video talking about parts that flew over my head as a kid makes me appreciate it both games a lot more, but doesn't change how the ending felt to me. Even explained here it feels just as confused and wanting to connect dots that we weren't given enough info on till everything is thrown at us at once.
On two realms though, geez, I heard it wasn't good but I didn't realize it was this bad. And the story could've worked too. It could've been Mike still recovering from the accident trying to remember the characters he saw in his coma to save them, recreating the world and characters from scratch while also using them as a way to handle real life post trauma, the hero being an imaginary friend to wander with in the real world. It would explain Wilfre being there too, being nothing more than another character to save in Mike's eyes. The rest I can't see a save for though without completely redoing it.
LETS GOOO I WAS WAITING FOR A NEW PETER UPLOAD!
I vividly remember that the mast chapter was my first profound experience with existential dread. I had seen stuff like the never ending story where I understood the concept snd found it frightening and captivating. But in drawn to life, it directly demanded my interaction. I needed to take part in ending the world and these characters I felt so attached to. I very much wasn’t okay after that.
Never in my life have I said holy shit that audibly loud at that ending. I hate that I missed out on this series. Hell of a video man.
Haven't watched the video yet but i'd just like to ask op how you got into my house and heard me listening to the entire Drawn to Life The Next Chapter OST literally three days ago 😐 this is literally so scary, thank u in advance for the video i Needed
I had no idea that the ending was changed. I only ever saw the updated one. So when I saw the original in this video, it was so jarring. Like. This isn’t what happened? Right? Got me gaslighting myself that I just imagined Mike falling out of the tree. Also yeah. Definitely teared up at both Light of My Life and Real Life. Still to this day.
Man. As someone who played this series as a kid my feelings are... Very mixed about it.
I loved the first game on DS, it was one of my main escapes from all the shit that was happening in my life. The ending looping endlessly kinda frustrated me, but I just made new files, new characters and adventures.
And then the sequel came about. I played it, and... As someone who'd been in a car accident when I was young, it destroyed me. It shattered the world I'd built, everything I knew and loved about the first game... It was gone. It wasn't the happy world I once knew and loved anymore.
I just couldn't see it the same way again. I never played the Wii versions or Two Realms after that, but... It doesn't look like I missed much on that front.
Dude, I MISS these games! Its right there next to Scribblenauts as being some of my favorite DS games from back then.
I’m so happy to see a long form Draw to Life video essay lol
I remember playing the next chapter while at college. The ending made me cry it was the car crash ending that the pal regions had
44:17 Oh, that Drakengard music gave me PTSD and I didn't even PLAY the damn game 😭
Perfect music to use when describing an awful boss fight.
I got and beat this game Christmas Day, I was changed
Holy shit, I completely forgot this game. The ending of the next chapter was just… wow.
God its so nostalgic remembering when I played on the DS back in elementary school
i been waiting for someone to make a draw to life video like this plus the nostalgia hits hard like a emotional roller coaster since when i play the first 2 games i didn't under stand it since i was a kid at the time plus the song "light of my life" made me shed a tear when watching this since i now under stand this games theme
The mainline drawn to life games have far FAR better narratives but in terms of just gameplay and fun the SpongeBob spin off is genuinely the best one
Hey man, awesome video! I haven’t played these since I was a kid so I never really noticed the religious symbolism. I really liked your comparison of the Hero to a golem in Judaism. Another thing I don’t know you mentioned was that Jowee and Mari could be stand-ins for Joseph and Mary, and the Hero they pray for is like Jesus, their own messiah.
I loved this game but got stuck on the first big boss dragon bc I couldn't tell if I was making any damage on it and lost my patience
my only complaint about it is that it’s too short.
Hey Peter thanks again for the video/topic that will take over my free time for the next two weeks as you hold my hand through the way!